Canonical set to release the next Ubuntu phone

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu, in partnership with Canonical, announced the launch of the MX4 Ubuntu Edition in Europe to smartphone enthusiasts. This follows the recent device launch in China specifically aimed at developers, focused on strengthening the Ubuntu content and services ecosystem in China. The Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition will be available to buy tomorrow (25th of June) across Europe* priced at 299.00 Euros. The devices are accessible by invitation on Meizu’s website..

Canonical and Meizu aren’t revealing how many will be available each day, so you’ll just have to visit their teaser site, complete the “origami wall” and hope for the best. The company is also staying tight-lipped about whether the invite system will eventually be dropped and if the MX4 will later be sold in other markets.

The Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition is an impeccably designed handset which will be available in silver and gold colours. This sleek device has 16GB internal memory and features an astounding 20.7 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus and dual LED flash, plus a 2 megapixel front-facing camera. It also features a large 5.36” Sharp premium retina screen with scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3.

Content is at the heart of the Ubuntu experience. Scopes are a reinvention of the mobile UI, presenting a new way to rapidly and visually access the most important digital life services – music, social, web, local services, photos etc – directly on the home screen. The richness and unfragmented experience delivered by Ubuntu Scopes is a world away from burying content and services inside multiple apps in an icon grid. Since the launch of the first Ubuntu device a few months ago, there are already over 1300 Scopes and Apps in the Ubuntu Store.

Cristian Parrino, VP Mobile at Canonical says: ‘Meizu pioneered the new wave of innovative Chinese manufacturers of high quality, high end devices who have mastered the user centric distribution model that is so popular in China. Their hunger for breaking down current ecosystem dynamics make them a perfect partner for Ubuntu.”

Canonical Ltd is a UK-based privately held computer software company founded (and funded) by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth to market commercial support and related services for Ubuntu and related projects. Canonical employs staff in more than 30 countries and maintains offices in London, Boston, Taipei, Montreal, Shanghai, São Paulo and the Isle of Man.